May's Flower: Lilies of the Valley and Hawthorns

May flowers are here! And as they begin to usher in the warmth of summer, we have two special flowers that belong to the month of May. If we consider the old saying, "April showers bring May flowers," one might find it interesting that the two flowers unique to May are rarely seen in wedding schemes. First, we have the lily of the valley, which means purity, humility, and sweetness, according to meaning-of-flowers.com, and given the recent spotlight they were given by the Duchess, we will probably see much more of them in future. They create a regal and whimsical feeling with their draping flow. And let's face it. If Kate had them, I want them. The second flower is the hawthorne, which means strong and powerful. Seeing them in bouquets and centerpieces is even rarer, but the way I see it, all the more reason to choose them! Their presence in your wedding would make your day that much more unique!

Lily of the Valley

Photo by Marie Labbancz Photography Bouquet by Beautiful Bloom Events

Photo from Yours Moment

Hawthorn

Bouquet by Wedding Dream

Happy wedding planning!

Jaimee

A Well-Dressed Wedding: Bridesmaids

It has almost been six months since the Royal Wedding and we are going through royal withdraw!  Looking back through pictures, one can't help but notice how well-dressed everyone was and remember the Pippa Middleton craze.  Pippa certainly made an impression around the globe and some even argue that Kate was overshadowed by her sister's knockout dress (blasphemy!).  Aside from her gorgeous physique, what is it about Pippa's look that made it an instant coveted classic?  Two things:  the modest, yet feminine shape and the ivory color.

THE REPLICAS

There are plenty of copy-cat dresses available out there at stores like Macys for reasonable prices.  And while these dresses are so pretty, we encourage brides to be inspired by weddings like Will and Kate's, not mimic them exactly.  However, Pippa's dress would make a lovely dress for a bride at a simple countryside wedding, don't you think?

Nordstrom

Zappos

THE SHAPE

If you want your maids to have Pippa's look, but you are not down with someone else wearing white on your wedding day, then take cues from the dress style but in a different color.  Do away with strapless, halters, spaghetti straps, sleeveless and choose a dress with a cap sleeve or even an off-the-shoulder cap sleeve.  If your bridesmaids are not comfortable with a form-fitting gown, try a tailored look like The Dessy Group dress.

Saks Fifth Avenue

The Dessy Group

THE COLOR

For smaller bridal parties, we love the idea of having the gals wear ivory.  Choose a fabric that is going to make the color look rich and perhaps slightly off from the bride's dress.  Stick to a less traditional bridal dress style and keep all of the maids' dresses the same.  Accent the bridesmaids with an embellish belt or colored bouquets to allow you to remain distinct as the bride.  This dress from The Limited (on sale for $99!) would be a perfect look for your royal-inspired bridal party.

The Limited

Jen